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Louise Thomas

Editor

The cheapest time to travel domestically in the US is the week from September 1, with the average flight ticket price nearly $100 cheaper than during the summer peak, research has revealed.

Those who want to book an international getaway out of the US should book to go in the week of October 20, when the average ticket prices are almost $260 compared to the summer.

In its Fall Travel Outlook, travel booking giant Expedia has revealed the best times to book a trip away to keep prices at a minimum and when to avoid the busy airport rushes.

To maximise your savings on air travel, Expedia also said that Monday is the best day to fly domestically, with Thursday being the worst. For international travel, Saturday is the cheapest day to book your tickets for, rather than Tuesday, which is the most expensive day of the week.

If you want to save even more on your fall getaway, there are some destinations where the average ticket prices are up to 25 per cent cheaper than in the summer months.

For a domestic trip, Seattle flight tickets are down by nearly 20 per cent in terms of price, Honolulu’s tickets are down 15 per cent, and Houston, Denver, and Los Angeles flights are also 10 per cent cheaper.

Internationally, you could save more than 25 per cent on a ticket to Toronto by visiting in the fall rather than the summer. Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic is down 25 per cent, and London, Oranjestad and Calgary are around 15 per cent down.

Travelers keen to avoid crowds should be avoiding the week of September 8 as well as September 5 and 6, which are the Thursday and Friday following Labor Day and will be the busiest days of domestic and international travel in the fall.

The quietest travel dates this season will be the week of November 10, which is around two weeks before the week of Thanksgiving.

For a quiet flight, avoid booking flights that depart on a Thursday as this is the busiest day of the week to travel. Instead, Mondays are considered the lightest day to travel by passenger volume for both domestic and international getaways.

“Regardless of the destination, fall is a fantastic time to travel, and there’s still time to plan a getaway,” said Melanie Fish, head of Expedia Group Brands public relations.

“The week following Labor Day is the best time for domestic airfare deals, while October 20 is the best for international trips — and for the start of leaf-peeping season.”

For more travel news and advice, listen to Simon Calder’s podcast

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